Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-06-04
MATTERS IN OLD MEXIC,.
PRESIDENT DiAZ AND THE MEM.
BERS OF HIS CABINET.
graphic mnunication-The
Governmental Machine.

! Especial Correspondence of the RECoRD-USIoS.l
MEXICO, May &c, 1887.
Since President Diaz has so far succeeded
in his ambition to remain ruler of Mexico
for indefinite period as that Congress has
decided in favor of altering the Constltu-
| ton to suit his ends, the rest will be smooth
| sailing for the great manipulation. But
whether Mexico at large will acquiesce
quietly in the scheme remains to be seen.
Already the quidnuncs are prophesying
rousing revolution before November 30,
1SSS-at which time the present admins
tration is legally at an end yet the result
is a foregene conclusion, and there is little
doubt that Dictator Diaz will reign as long
as be chooses-as long, at least, as ne can
hold the army and the Treasury in his te-
nacious grip.
Let as look at the personnel of the pres
ent Cabinet. The six ''silent partners of
| the Executive, who are supposed to lay
their wise heads together and assist in the
counsels, as well as share the confidence of
their chief, are known as the Secretary of
the Interior, the Secretary of the Treasury,
Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Secretary of
War and Marine, Secretary of Public
| Works, Colonization, Industry and Com
merce. and the Minister of Justice and
Public Instruction.
When Bonita Juarez (who was the only
truly patriotic President Mexico has ever
had, the others having ha0 their own inter-
ests mainly in view, entered the national
palace, in his train came Matias Romero.
Mexico's Minister in Washington; Ignacio
Mariscal, the present Minister of Foreign
Relations Manuel Dublau, the present
Secretary of the Treasury; General Ignacio
| Mejia, for thirteen years Minister of War
besides a number who have since become
luminaries of more or less prominence in
the reflected light of Diaz' successes.
Among the latter may be mentioned Gen.
Mier Terau, present Governor of the
State of Oaxaca, and General Mena, Next
cos financial agent in London, who has
| recently completed an arrangement of that
| nightmare of Mexican existence, the Eng
lish debt. 1t is in the Minister of Foreign
Affairs,
| SENIOR MARISCAL,
That Americans are most directly interest
ed. This official is held to be one of the
profoundest statesmen Mexico has pro-
duced. With long diplomatic experience
in Washington and at the court of st.
James, besides being an apt observer, with
diplomacy, he is able to meet the diplo-
matte agents accredited to his Government
on the fullest equality and to unravel anv
| knotty question presented. His manage
ment of MeXico's relations with the United
States during the border excitement few
months ago, and his commercial treaties
with France and Germany, are all marks
| of ability; but his management of negotia-
tons with England for the renewal of
L., -, nlAt, l.. IL. 7
in the adjustment and conversion of the
| English debt and the restoration of Next
cos financial credit, after a quarter GEN.
! fury of discredit and Don-intercourse diplo-
| matically with Great Britain, is his master
piece as diplomatist.
Senior Mariscal is highly educated and
extremely well read, speaking English and
French as tiuently as his native Spanish.
He is as fond of bon mot as of good din
ner, and his manners show that degree of
| polish which only those of the Latin race
are capable of attaining. He is great ad-
mirer of Americans (male and female),
and though always watchful for the in
terests of his own country, his sympathies
are strong with the United States He fire.
quently refers, with pride, TO the fact that
the Republic of Cure Hidalgo was modelled
i after that of Washington, and is stanch
advocate for the development of commerce
and sister feeling between the two.
| This reminds me of a pretty anecdote re-
| lated of President Dlaz. When Secretary
Evarts ordered the American troops to fol-
low the raiding Indians across the bound
cry into Mexican territory-without re-
| gard to Mexican troops, and without pre-
| yious agreement with the Mexican Govern
ment-popular feeling here became so
much exasperated that Diaz and his Minis
tiers could with difficulty keep the military
element quiet till matters could be dplo-
maticslly arranged. Discussing the cues
ton one day with an American, Diaz said:
While ! want peace and commerce with
the sister Republic, and am free to confess
| that from military point of view she is as
| much stronger than we as fifty millions
are stronger than ten millions, still if duty
calls me, will promptly put myself at the
head of my country and face the bullets
| from the other side of the Rio Grande. The
| chances are that one of those bullets would
strike me. But while it would be glor
ious thing to die defending my country
against an invader, yet it would be sad to
contemplate the two foremost Republics of
America slaughtering each other"
SENIOR MANUEL DUBLAU,
Secretary of the Treasury, is another SUBJ
stantial leader of Mexican affairs. Per-
| sonally, he is a man OF portly bearing and
| polished manners, of few words, but a
deep thinker. He is an accomplished
| lawyer, and before entering the Cabinet
! had been many years in Congress-latterly
in the Senate, representing his native State
| Oaxaca. 1t may be mentioned en- PEASANT
that there is no little dissatisfaction through
out Mexico because Oaxaca (Diaz' native
STATED has been called upon to fill so MANY
high places under the present administra-
ton, while most of the States have no
representation at all, except in the lower
house of Congress, where though one
| Deputy is allowed to every 10000 people
! every body knows that the body is directly
controlled by the President.
When General Daz received the Presi
dency from Gonzalez, on December l. 1884.
| the treasury was absolutely empty, and
Dor popRli charged that the Gonzalez adj
ministration had been the most extrava-
| gantly ruinouS one Mexico had ever
known. At any rate Gonzalez entered the
| Office poor man-having been an obscure
soldier of fortune till his own pluck and
| Diaz' favor brought him to the fore-and
during his four years of golden oppor-
| tunity he is known to have enriched him
| self to the enormous amount of $4,000
000 Not even his warmest partisans-
| and there are a few-dare dispute this
statement. He is one of the most de-
| termined Of the several candidates now in
|
vious term it is said that Diaz kept him
well under control by secret bargain they
had made whereby one should help the
other to occupy the Office alternately
which might have been done, so far as law,
is concerned, as the Constitution then
stood. Since Diaz has broken the faith
and wants all the loaves and fishes for him
sell, it is authoritatively stated that Con-
zalez, who is now Diaz bitter enemy, will
J raise an opposing army if be tDiaz) at
tempts the second successive term business
How 1t happened that certain prominent
men of the Gonzalez Administration be-
came so wonderfully wealthy in four years
time, may be indicated by citing only one
of many well-known operations. War
widows and old pensioners, who were en-
titled by Act of Congress TO draw
monthly stipend from the Treasury. we're
biandly informed that there was "no
money" but as disconsolate widow, per
| hsps with little ones hungry at home.
| turned tearsully from the palace. she was
met by broker, who fiippsntly offered her
| 10 per cent. for her claim or pension. In
| almost every case her urgent necessities
compelled her to sell 500 for $40. But
within half az hour. before the widow